Promptings

I'm still trying to adjust to being retired and not having a set schedule for my day.  This morning I wondered what to do with myself and thought about spontaneously going to volunteer at a local food bank.

As I was pondering that I had a random thought about going to our local Big Lots store to check for bargains. I remembered getting winter slippers there for 90% off at about this time last year.  I had no reason, though, to think they'd be on sale this week.  I hadn't even been in that store for months.

I dismissed the thought for awhile, but I couldn't entirely shake it.  Finally, I decided to make the trip, thinking I could stop at the grocery store at the same time.

So I got to Big Lots, grabbed a shopping cart, and headed to the aisle where I thought I'd find winter footwear.  Nothing.

I decided to leave and turned my cart down another aisle to make my way out.  That's when I saw the sign--

It was pretty amazing.  As I started loading my cart with nice slippers, another shopper came up behind me and started taking some from the rack also.  I tried to allow her to choose what she wanted and told her I'd take the rest.  She ended up with about 25 pairs of slippers and I left the store with 65 pairs.

If I'd listened to those first promptings I'd have gotten there a bit earlier and maybe avoided the competition.  I did have a nice time talking about Operation Christmas Child with the manager in the check out line, and she told me to call her in the future and she'll let me know when things are going to be reduced.   Apparently I missed out on the 90% off on winter hats and gloves they had recently.

Here are some of those cute treasures--

The ones in the foreground were .60 each and the cute boots in the back were $1.00.  Those nice Dearfoams ones were $1.20.

These soft, cuddly ones were .50 each.

I think the three pairs of fluffy pink boots were my favorites.

Well...and these cutie patootie ones with bear faces for 60 cents.

There's another Big Lots store on the other side of town, so after stowing my treasures in the back of my minivan I headed there.  When I arrived at that store I grabbed my cart and headed to the slipper display only to find they were marked at regular price.  I took a few pairs to the cashier to have the prices checked and they all came up at regular price.

I told her they had been 90% at the store on the other side of town and asked her if each store had individual pricing.  She said they did not, but also said their store never discounts below 50% off.  Weird.

Still...getting 65 pairs of cute and sturdy slippers for $48.00 is a pretty good way to spend a day of retirement.

Thanks for praying.